We’re getting a new snapshot of how removing the tolls from the Port Mann Bridge is affecting traffic crossing the Fraser.
A new engineering report heading to Delta City Council on Monday shows axing the tolls has had a mixed result on congestion.
When it comes to the Port Mann itself, there’s no doubt, traffic is up.
The report found crossings across that span have climbed by a full 27 per cent since the tolls were dropped in September.
WATCH: No more tolls on B.C. bridges
Back in October, a report from TransLink also found a major boost in traffic on the Port Mann, estimating a jump of about 30,000 crossings a day.
Meanwhile, the Delta report found crossings on the aging Pattullo Bridge have fallen by about 12 per cent.
But when it comes to two of the region’s biggest choke points, the change in tolls has done little to ease congestion, according to the report.
On both the Alex Fraser Bridge and the George Massey Tunnel, traffic has dipped only two per cent since the Port Mann tolls were removed.
WATCH: NDP puts the brakes on Massey Tunnel replacement
Regarding the tunnel, the report concludes, “Without significant improvements … economic growth and regional livability will be constrained by congestion and increasing travel times.”
The future of that crossing remains in question.
The NDP government pressed pause on construction of a new 10-lane bridge to replace the Massey Tunnel, and has commissioned a new independent technical review of the project.
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